Big Merger Puts Amex GBT in the Expedia and Priceline Neighborhood

Andrew Sheivachman, Skift

- Feb 16, 2018 12:30 am

Skift Take

Consolidation has been expected across corporate travel, but it was surprising to see American Express Global Business Travel emerge as a buyer so soon after its integration of KDS. As business travel has gone increasingly global, the combination with Hogg Robinson would be in a good spot to service clients across the world.

— Andrew Sheivachman

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The big news that American Express Global Business Travel wants to acquire Hogg Robinson Group is still resonating across the industry.

The combined company would have the largest transaction volume of any travel management company in the world, catapulting it up into the level below consumer booking giants Expedia Inc. and Priceline Group. In my analysis below, you can find out what this means for the rest of the industry.

In other news, Airbnb will announce a new product line next week, and Skift has the scoop. While different than its “business travel ready” approved rooms, the new Airbnb Select product seems to be a good fit for business travelers.

If you have any feedback about the newsletter or tips, feel free to reach out via email at as@skift.com or tweet me at @sheivach.

Disruption + Innovation

Airbnb Is Set to Launch a New Tier of Select Properties: You know the saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same”? When it comes to Airbnb’s new endeavors in the accommodations space, it is certainly being inventive, but the company is also borrowing heavily from what hotels have been doing for centuries.

Smart Hotel Guest Rooms Are Almost Here: The smart guest room of the future is still in development. A strong return on investment for hotel owners who invest in updated technology, however, will help push these innovations into the mainstream.

Photo Credit: A train station in Munich, Germany. A combined American Express Global Business Travel and Hogg Robinson Group will have an extremely strong presence in Europe and North America. Lance Griffin / Flickr